MedDocs Publishers
Journal of Community Medicine
Smoke exposure following domestic pollution:
Prevention and community medicine improvement
*Corresponding Author (s): David Baguma,
Visiting Professor, Disease Control & Environmental
Health Department, Makerere University, School of
Public Health, P.O.Box 7072 Kampala, Uganda
Email: baguma.david@yahoo.com &
bagusha2000@yahoo.com
Received: Feb 05, 2017
Accepted: Apr 18, 2018
Published Online: Apr 27, 2018
Journal: Journal of Community Medicine
Publisher: MedDocs Publishers LLC
Online edition: http://meddocsonline.org/
Copyright: © Baguma D (2018). This Article is distributed
under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
international License
Keywords: Bush-burning; Weather; Health; Poverty; Rural
household; Plants; Water
Introduction
Living communities are partly affected by smoke exposure
for many people worldwide owing to the burning of wood fuel,
coal and charcoal. Cooking food items using fuels like biomass
can be a health risk not only in low-income countries but also in
high- and middle-income countries [1].
The health implication of hazardous air pollution, such as
lung diseases are severe, but lack of affordable monitoring de-
vices often prevents the collection of actual data, limiting the
revelation of information on associated factors, including the
low levels of income, lack of appropriate technology and the
inadequacy of community medicine precautionary measures,
as well as adequate implementation of government policies.
Cite this article: Baguma D. Smoke exposure following domestic pollution: Prevention and community medi-
cine improvement. J Community Med. 2018; 2: 1006
Journal of Community Medicine
Open Access | Research Article
Abstract
Objective: Domestic pollution and related impacts are
partly from smoke exposure, such as wood fuel smoke, fac-
tory smoke, cigarette smoke, motorcycles, and bush burn-
ing. The effects of smoke pollution were investigated.
Method: We reviewed literature on potential health risks
resulting from smoke pollution occurring in households.
Result: Smoke pollution is linked to lower-respiratory dis-
eases, heart disease, damage to the brain, liver and kidney,
bronchitis and pneumonia. Toxic gases in air due to smoke
pollution increases the burden of diseases, including plants
getting stunted, water scarcity and water drying up, which
could exacerbate domestic poverty and lead to the inability
to cover community medicine expenses in many countries.
The risks partly arise from inadequately ventilated stoves,
burning biomass fuels, such as wood fuel, dung or coal,
which impact phenomena that influence the accumulation
of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, and the
accompanying weather changes.
Conclusion: The research recommends persistent policy
measures that improve community medicine and living en-
vironments worldwide.
In some instances, household members using traditional en-
ergy facilities, such as three-stone stoves, to carry out domestic
chores are affected owing to lack of advanced technologies and
exposure to open heat.
Biomass burning in many scenarios is linked to the emis-
sion of colloidal particles, dispersed air pollutants in the form
of gases, smoke and aerosols. Worldwide, the use of biomass
energy, particularly in remote village areas and in urban areas,
cannot be avoided as it is crucial for house warming and for
cooking food. In such communities, residents’ access to mod-
ern energy resources is insufficient; while as, biomass fuels are
readily available for use [2].
Cooking indoors usually involves inadequate biomass fuel
1

combustion, which results in the emission of inhalable Particu-
late Matter (PM), carbon monoxide and Polycyclic Aromatic Hy-
drocarbons (PAHs) [1]. Indeed, worldwide the impact of the dis-
ease burden is estimated at 3.5 million premature deaths owing
partly to ambient air pollution.
Biomass combustion in communities is increasingly becom-
ing recognised as a major contributor to weather changes be-
cause of the emission of greenhouse gases. Moreover, biomass
combustion emits pollutants such as black carbon, which nega-
tively influences crop yields and also could influence the melt-
ing of glaciers and disruption of the monsoon. Knowledge of in-
door exposure is, however, inadequate yet a big number of the
world population spend substantial amounts of time in-house
in many countries.
The present research attempts to contribute information on
smoke pollution effects. We reviewed literature published be-
tween 2000 and 2014 that considers the potential risks that re-
sult from smoke pollution occurring in communities worldwide,
to emphasise measures aimed at the reduction of health risks in
low-income and middle- or high-income countries.
Materials and methods
A comprehensive literature review of reports and docu-
ments was undertaken between 2015 and 2016 using available
sources: [3,4] as used to search other databases [5]. Several
keywords were used, including ‘household smoke’, ‘air pollu-
tion’, ‘diseases’, ‘smoke deaths’ and ‘stoves’.
Selection criteria included documents that specifically de-
scribed ‘smoke between 2000 and 2014’ in the study. Those
describing smoke alone (not followed by ‘household’) as well as
those that occurred before 2000 were excluded.
Results
Although we collected 140 articles and reports, we selected
18 studies. The published documents on PM2.5 and related
cook stoves spanned 14 years (2000 to 2014). Crop straws were
mainly used in remote village households (Table 1).
The present study found that wheat and rice straw were part
of the crop straws mainly available for use. The classification
of PM2.5 emission data collected was insignificantly different
(p>0.05), partly owing to the small sample sizes. Tree species
were used as household indoor fuels. The increased pollutant
emissions recorded are documented in a tree species context
and fuel moisture.
Wood fuels are classified as wood logs and branches, which
produce different emissions [6,7].
The average PM2.5 was significant (p<0.05) for wood logs
and branches at 1.8±1.3g/kg and 2.6±0.7g/kg-1. The study also
found the effects of indoor PM2.5 pollution, especially high con-
centrations during the different seasons (winter). The finding
was consistent with those of studies conducted in Asia (Table
1). The table shows the findings of the computations (x±s) of
primary PM2.5 emissions (EF; g kg-1).
Discussion
The present review reveals that when traditional stoves are
replaced, household members can improve their living envi-
ronments. For instance, the PM2.5 emissions from households
burning bituminous coal can be reduced by the use of bri-
quettes. Additionally, the use of biomass can be replaced with
Journal of Community Medicine
MedDocs Publishers
the use of efficient cook stoves, such as gasified burners and
forced draft stoves, which may reduce hazardous health risks.
The rate of emission in residential households practising
wood log burning was higher than that in households that use
efficient cook stoves, for instance gasified burners that use pel-
lets. Kerosene was found to be commonly used as household
fuel. Additionally, households were found to have poorly con-
structed ventilated kitchens, which could affect the health of
members.
The risks from emissions could also influence climatic sce-
narios over time. The accumulation of greenhouse gases, such
as carbon dioxide, may necessitate strategies to improve cur-
rent adaptation measures. This finding is consistent with that in
several epidemiological studies, which suggest that the effects
of smoke from kerosene increases health risks. With regard to
women living in rural areas, most women in the review revealed
that Improved Charcoal Stoves (ICS) are good compared to tra-
ditional charcoal Three-Stone Stove (TCS), considering concerns
about handling, emission generation and ease to cook. The
impact could reduce health risks associated with eye irritation,
lung disease and headache, which relate to other studies [8].
Nevertheless, among old women the use of improved cook-
ing stoves may not be adequate for cooking large amounts of
food. For instance, there may be much expense involved in pre-
paring a large quantity of food, and the required funds are not
readily available all the time.
Tobacco smoke was also found to be a health risk because
burning and smoking tobacco products is linked to heart dis-
ease risks, such as stroke, among even non-smoking adults and
children. The risks could be middle ear disease and reduced
lung function, and asthma in children.
Children are affected by second-hand exposure since when
they are developing physically, breathing rates tend to be rela-
tively much high, and since they lack adequate control over their
breathing environment and international environmental agree-
ments [9]. The present study relates to findings which indicate
that some youth live in households with 100% smoke-free rules
and are not likely to report second-hand exposure
Conclusion
The present study aimed to contribute information on smoke
pollution effects. Literature on potential risks from smoke pol-
lution occurring was reviewed. Inappropriately ventilated kitch-
ens are used, which could impact the health of many exposed
individuals. Smoke pollution was linked to lower-respiratory
diseases, heart disease, damage to the brain, liver and kidney,
bronchitis and pneumonia.
Toxic gases in air due to smoke pollution increase the bur-
den of diseases, including plants getting stunted and drying
up, which could exacerbate domestic poverty. Health risks and
related impacts result partly from sources, such as wood fire
smoke, factory smoke, chimney smoke, cigarette smoke, and
exhaust smoke from motor vehicles and motorcycles.
The risks are also partly due to inadequately ventilated stove
and the burning of biomass fuels (such as coal), which influence
the accumulation of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon di-
oxide, and the accompanying changes in weathercast scenarios.
This research recommends policy suggestions to improve com-
munity medicine and living environments worldwide.
2
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Table 4. Google. 2015.

5. Kouadio IK, Aljunid S, Kamigaki T, Hammad K, Oshitani H. Infec-

Table 1: The means and standard derivations (x ± s) of primary
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6. Shen G, Wei S, Zhang Y, Min Y, Wang B, Wang R, et al. Emission

NCV, MJ
Description N EF, kg-1 ƞ, % References factors, size distributions and emission inventories of carbona-
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Crop straw 18 5.6±3.1 16±2 16±4 [10-14] rural China. Environ Sci Technol. 2012; 46: 4207-4214.

Firewood log 24 1.8±1.3 18±1 18±6 7. Edwards R, Smith K, Zhang J, Ma Y. Implications of changes in
[6,11,12,14]
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Wood ranches 5 2.6±0.7 17±2 14±1 [6,11,12,14] 395-441.
Anthracite 8. Shen G, Tao S, Wei S, Zhang Y, Wang R, Wang B, et al. Reductions
5 1.1±0.4 21±5 14±5 [13-16]
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chunk
46: 6409-6416.
Anthracite
3 0.59±0.58 21±5 32±12 [13-16]
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